ChiefsPlanet DraftPlanet/CasinoPlanet: A Proposal

**DaFace** · 01-03-2012, 06:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buck

I just wanted to show you something from PatriotsPlanet

I took a screen grab from their main football forum and their version of the lounge.

First of all, their header is about an inch larger than CP's. And they have 5 stickies at all times, meaning their members have to scroll for...1 SECOND (the horror) to get to see what they want. So wtf is the big deal with adding 1 more subforum up top?

Which forum looks more professional: Pats Planet or Chiefs Planet?

**bevischief** · 01-03-2012, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Which forum looks more professional: Pats Planet or Chiefs Planet?

I like CP more.

**Buck** · 01-03-2012, 06:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

Which forum looks more professional: Pats Planet or Chiefs Planet?

Definitely ChiefsPlanet, but only by a hair (it's not that different really)

However, adding an extra inch of space isn't going to ruin anyone's day like you think it is for some reason.

It's not like we have sticky threads all the time. You can get to the new posts in the same amount of time it took when there was no Draft Planet subforum up top.

**DaFace** · 01-03-2012, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Buck

Definitely ChiefsPlanet, but only by a hair (it's not that different really)

However, adding an extra inch of space isn't going to ruin anyone's day like you think it is for some reason.

It's not like we have sticky threads all the time. You can get to the new posts in the same amount of time it took when there was no Draft Planet subforum up top.

The point is, web usability has a lot to do with reducing the amount of scrolling people have to do. The stat I've heard over and over again is that users spend 80% of their time looking at content "above the fold" - in other words, above the bottom of the screen when they haven't scrolled down at all. That's undoubtedly way too high for regulars around here, but it's probably close for people visiting for the first time. Too much scrolling is irritating, and when people have to do it too much, it makes a site seem clunky and unprofessional.

I know we're not trying to make money around here, but I've always "admin-ed" around here with the #1 goal of improving usability. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I honestly think less of sites like the Orange Mane and Pats Planet when I visit just because they're not designed as well. Their color schemes, post layouts, and excessive amounts of stickies, subforums, and random youtube videos at the top of the page makes it a slower information consuming experience. My goal is to help people absorb the maximum amount of information in the quickest amount of time, which means reducing any of that crap that isn't necessary. That includes that little 1/4" of space. It's not much, but when you load a page a hundred times a day, it adds up subconsciously.

Regardless, there may be a way to make this work and let people choose on their own, so stay tuned.

**the Talking Can** · 01-03-2012, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DaFace

The point is, web usability has a lot to do with reducing the amount of scrolling people have to do. The stat I've heard over and over again is that users spend 80% of their time looking at content "above the fold" - in other words, above the bottom of the screen when they haven't scrolled down at all. That's undoubtedly way too high for regulars around here, but it's probably close for people visiting for the first time. Too much scrolling is irritating, and when people have to do it too much, it makes a site seem clunky and unprofessional.

I know we're not trying to make money around here, but I've always "admin-ed" around here with the #1 goal of improving usability. I know it doesn't seem like much, but I honestly think less of sites like the Orange Mane and Pats Planet when I visit just because they're not designed as well. Their color schemes, post layouts, and excessive amounts of stickies, subforums, and random youtube videos at the top of the page makes it a slower information consuming experience. My goal is to help people absorb the maximum amount of information in the quickest amount of time, which means reducing any of that crap that isn't necessary. That includes that little 1/4" of space. It's not much, but when you load a page a hundred times a day, it adds up subconsciously.

Regardless, there may be a way to make this work and let people choose on their own, so stay tuned.

the lounge displays below the fold for me on my laptop (and for many i'd assume) as is, one more forum makes no difference...

do you receive feedback from people saying they won't visit or enjoy the planet less based on there being 4 or 5 forums listed? I would find it hard to believe...in the absence of any data it's a non-issue...

you seem convinced people care about the things you care about, for reasons that can't be substantiated...

now that the draft forum has been added, my experience of the planet is...exactly the same...

01-03-2012, 08:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

you seem convinced people care about the things you care about, for reasons that can't be substantiated...

now that the draft forum has been added, my experience of the planet is...exactly the same...

We don't care how many forums are up top either. We're here. We're not leaving. You're right. It doesn't change how fellow-addicts feel about their experience here. Keeping the number of sub-forums visible up top is more about staying clean and crisp for n00bs who come to visit the forum. We must remain appealing to visitors or this site will eventually dry up.

**the Talking Can** · 01-03-2012, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

We don't care how many forums are up top either. We're here. We're not leaving. You're right. It doesn't change how fellow-addicts feel about their experience here. Keeping the number of sub-forums visible up top is more about staying clean and crisp for n00bs who come to visit the forum. We must remain appealing to visitors or this site will eventually dry up.

again, this is off point...the extra forum isn't going affect people who come to a message board looking for a forum...this isn't Huffington Post...the content of the site is a level deep inside threads, users understand that, as users understand and expect the content of other types of sites to be presented differently

and of course this will be easy to confirm...if the site 'dries up' we'll know it was a mistake...but it won't have any measurable effect, if you even cared to somehow measure it...or just check the analytics...

**DaFace** · 01-03-2012, 08:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

again, this is off point...the extra forum isn't going affect people who come to a message board looking for a forum...this isn't Huffington Post...the content of the site is a level deep inside threads, users understand that, as users understand and expect the content of other types of sites to be presented differently

and of course this will be easy to confirm...if the site 'dries up' we'll know it was a mistake...but it won't have any measurable effect, if you even cared to somehow measure it...or just check the analytics...

Just to clarify, are you implying that the user interface isn't important to finding and retaining users? Of course this is minor, but it's the combination of the little things that make places professional and successful. Do we have to have the OP on every thread? Of course not, but it helps to retain continuity throughout a thread. Do we have to have gray boxes on the left to separate posts from user information? Nope, but it helps to make a thread easier to read. This place is made up of hundreds and hundreds of tweaks that have been added over the years, and a minor decision like what subforums go at the top is just one of those.

Or, if none of it matters, we could always go back to this:

http://web.archive.org/web/200104191....php?forumid=1

**dirk digler** · 01-03-2012, 08:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phobia

We don't care how many forums are up top either. We're here. We're not leaving. You're right. It doesn't change how fellow-addicts feel about their experience here. Keeping the number of sub-forums visible up top is more about staying clean and crisp for n00bs who come to visit the forum. We must remain appealing to visitors or this site will eventually dry up.

We just need to combine everything under 1 forum and re-live the good ole days

**RNR** · 01-03-2012, 08:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirk digler

We just need to combine everything under 1 forum and re-live the good ole days

Agreed.

**DaFace** · 01-03-2012, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by the Talking Can

the lounge displays below the fold for me on my laptop (and for many i'd assume) as is, one more forum makes no difference...

do you receive feedback from people saying they won't visit or enjoy the planet less based on there being 4 or 5 forums listed? I would find it hard to believe...in the absence of any data it's a non-issue...

you seem convinced people care about the things you care about, for reasons that can't be substantiated...

now that the draft forum has been added, my experience of the planet is...exactly the same...

I've never acted like it's a huge deal for people who are here, but cleanliness does make a difference for new users.

Also, keep in mind that the practice of alternating DP and CP predated my mod-dom around here by quite a few years. I just get to be the poster child because I was the one who started engaging people in the discussion about it.